Contact for connecting lamps in selectively rotated positions in screw sockets



epfio 26 191% N. CHBRELSTEHN 9 13 CONTACT FOR CONNECTING LAMPS m samcmmm ROTATED POSITIONS IN SCREW SOCKETS Filed; Nov. 1?, 1948 Patented Sept. 26, 1950 CONTACT FOR CONNECTING LAMPS IN SELECTIVELY ROTATED POSITIONS IN SCREW SOCKETS Nathan Chirelstein, Maplewood, N.- J., assignor to Allied Electric Products, Inc., Irvington,

N. .L, a corporation of New Jersey Application November 17, 1948, Serial No. 60,434

1 The invention here disclosed is an electric connector insertable in a lamp socket in backof a lamp base to enable the lamp being rotatably adjusted in the socket one way or the other without disturbing the electrical connection between the lamp and socket.

This invention is a continuation in part'ofthat disclosed in copending patent application Serial vide such connector in a small, compact form which will take up but little space in the socket and hence be usable in short thread length sockets and which will be safe and practical in every way.

Further objects of the inventio are to provide this adjustable adapter type of connector in a form which will grip and hold the lamp against turning, thus serving to retain the latter in any position to which it has been adjusted.

Other desirable objects attained by the invention and the novel features of construction, combination and relation of parts by means of which all objects are accomplished, are set forth or will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrates certain present practical embodiments of the invention. Structure, however, may be modified and changed as regards the immediate illustration, all within the true intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig. 1 in the drawing is a broken part sectional view showing the connector in use in a typical lamp socket interposed between and forming an electrical connection between the center contact of the socket and the center contact of the lamp base; I

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the connector;

Fig. 3 is an edge View with one of the insulating end discs shown in section;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a slightly modified form of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional detail of the same;

Fig. 6 is an edge view showing how this form of the invention may be completely collapsed to 1 Claim. (01. ire-35s) a' thickness no greaterthan the combined thickness of the insulating discs, diameter of the spring wire and thickness'of the end contact'buttons.

In Fig. l the base portion of a lamp l is illustrated, having a screw shell contact 8 engageable with the'screw contact 9 of a socket l0 and a center contact I! for direct engagement usually with the center socket contact 12;

The invention involves the interposition of a yielding spring connector'between the opposingsocket and lamp center contacts, and this is shown made up of a short coiled spring is of good conducting wire having angled opposite ends M extending through opposed insulating discs and connected with or formed into exposed contact buttons l6 at the outer faces of the discs.

The spring i3, for the sake of shortness, may be of approximately one turn and the discs, to center and assure proper engagement of the terminal buttons 46 with the socket and with the lamp and socket contacts II and 12, may be of only slightly less diameter than the socket.

This assures a loose, free fit of the connector in the socket so that it will readily drop into position therein or may be easily removed therefrom, and at the same time makes it certain that when the lamp is screwed into the socket the terminal buttons will fully and firmly engage the socket and lamp contacts.

The modification illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, involves the provision of a spring [30. with radially extending end portions lll offset to opposite sides of a diametrical line so that in the collapsing of the spring these end portions will avoid or lie alongside each other, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 6, to permit complete collapse of the unit and hence the screwing of the lamp into the socket to a maximum permissible extent. This is of particular advantage for use in sockets having short length screw shell contacts and where the range of possible adjustment may not be so great.

In all cases the tension exerted by the interposed conducting spring l3 tends to grip and hold the lamp against turning from any position to Which it may have been adjusted and to prevent the lamp from working loose and dropping out of the socket.

In the offset end form of the invention shown in Figs. 4 to 6, the terminal buttons may be oil"- set or eccentrically related, and this may be. of advantage in that it assures a wiping engagement of these terminals with the center contacts of the lamp and socket, respectively. This eccentric relation also enables the device to hold the lamp more firmly in position in the socket.

larger diameter than the coil of the spring be- 10 tween them to mechanically; prevent any possi bility of contact of such spring'with tha side contact of the socket.

While the ofiset or ofi-centerrrelationiof? the:-

contact buttons l6 may be desirablezforsthe TEES-r2152.

' compressed"to-a:minimum thickness approximatsons given above, these terminals maybe ar ranged in centered relation by;.securing them eccentrically to the angled endpo'rtions' Hl'o'fthe" spring, as will be clear from considerationoff. Figs. 4 and 5.

The extent. of, compressibility; oi the connector may; vary; For generalpurposesit.may-be; said to besuffioient for'the connector to yield-tamper mita turning of the lamp through an angleof fromabout a; half to a; full revolution while'providingponductivitm-between the lamp. and socket contacts.

What is claimed is;

A resilient, compressible. connector insertable in;a.;screw socket inbackof. a lamp and yieldablei suficiently to permit turning of the lamp in the socket through a considerable range of adjustment and comprising a, coiled spring of less than the socket diameter, insulating discs of greater diameter than the spring but of less diameter than thesocket, to freely?v enter: the socket, said spring: being-g. interposedbetween saidi insulating discs and contact terminals at the outer faces of the discs in electrical connection with said spring and disposed to engage center contacts of the lamp'rand socket;,respective1y, said coiled spring beingzofilessl'tlian'one complete convolution and having the end"porti0ns of the same laterally off- .set.so: as;notitozabuinin the collapsing operation of the spring and whereby said connector may be ing.that-. only- 01. the.-. several components of the unit. I

NATHAN CHIRELSTEIN.

REFERENCES CITEDv The-followmg refrences are of record in the file of this patent-z UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 193333.44 Schouwstra Oct. 31, 1933 1,940,368: Page .Dec;' 19, 1933 2, 158 814: Mueller: sa May 16, 1 939 

